Radical Heights, the new free-to-play battle royale game from LawBreakers developer Boss Key, is currently available via Steam Early Access. However, at launch, there's no option to create a female avatar; only male avatars are available currently, with the female option "coming soon."
On Twitter, the Radical Heights team addressed concerns about the lack of female characters in the game's trailer and early promotion. The Radical Heights Twitter account clarified that female characters will be in the game eventually, just not at launch. The tweet also specifies that all cosmetics can we worn regardless of your character's gender.
Female contestants will be implemented but won't be available at launch tomorrow. You'll be greeted with a "coming soon" for females tomorrow during customization. Plus all cosmetics you unlock can be worn by males or females.
Radical Heights is described as a "free *X-TREME Early Access* battle royale shooter," so it's not surprising that certain features aren't yet available. Boss Key also plans to introduce "new weapons, gadgets, customization, vehicles, game show events, game modes, and eventually a Daily/Weekly Challenges system."
Like other battle royale games, Radical Heights tasks you with surviving against other players, but it has few twists: You can collect cash and deposit it in the bank to use in a later match, regardless of whether you win or lose the game you're currently playing. The game also lets you ride BMX bikes.
On April 5, Boss Key addressed the current state of LawBreakers, admitting that it had "failed to find enough of an audience to generate the funds necessary to keep it sustained in the manner [it] had originally planned for and anticipated." However, the studio said it was committed to giving the game "the second life it deserves."
Blizzard has released the latest Overwatch patch, and of course the most exciting additions come in the form of cosmetics--including new Legendary skins--and a new limited-time co-op Brawl. But more meaningful to the game long-term are the balance changes, which are revealed in the full patch notes for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
New content related to Overwatch Archive 2018 event aside, there are several hero updates in this patch. D.Va receives a small nerf, as the explosive damage from Micro Missiles is reduced to 4 from 6 and Boosters now does less impact damage (10, down from 25). According to Blizzard, she simply could deal too much damage in a hurry as-is.
"D.Va's burst potential is a bit too high, so we're reducing the damage of her Micro Missiles and Boosters impact," Blizzard explained in the patch notes on its website. "Prior to this change, each missile dealt 3 impact damage and 6 explosive damage. We're reducing explosive damage from 6 to 4 but leaving the impact damage the same, the net result being 21% damage reduction."
Reaper also sees some changes, but for the better (assuming you like Reaper). Death Blossom now reloads his shotguns after it's used, and his Wraith Form gets some improvements. Its movement speed bonus has been increased to 50% from 25%, and the ability can now be canceled. "These changes help Reaper use Wraith Form more consistently as an escape, but they also open up new options, such as chasing down key targets," Blizzard said.
Another notable change involves Mei's Endothermic Blaster now being able to pierce through enemies--but not barriers like Reinhardt's shield. As Blizzard explained, "This change helps Mei combat multiple targets that are clumped up and makes it easier for her to keep freezing a specific target if another enemy gets in the way. This change also helps her ultimate more consistently freeze enemy targets, especially if they are near each other."
Brigitte, the game's newest hero, gets a new option for her Barrier Shield to be toggled on and off (rather than holding the key or button), while Zenyatta loses 15% of the fire rate on Orb of Destruction's secondary fire. "Zenyatta is meant to be able to deal a lot of damage, especially for a support, but his alternate fire burst damage was a bit too high," Blizzard said. "This change keeps the overall damage the same but lowers the DPS slightly and makes it harder to hit multiple shots at very long ranges."
Finally, Moira gets some attention, although purely in a cosmetic way. Blizzard has adjusted the transparency of her visual effects depending on how close they are to the camera.
Last September, it was reported that Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi was the latest director to be attached to Warner's long-delayed live action adaptation of the classic manga and anime Akira. Waititi has now confirmed that he is involved with the project, even if it doesn't sound like he's gotten very far with it.
Waititi was asked about Akira in a recent interview with Dazed, and while he did not confirm that would direct it, he did speak about his intentions for the project. "I haven't really started to get my head around it yet," he admitted. "What I want to do is an adaptation of the books, 'cause a lot of people are like, 'Don't touch that film!' and I'm like, 'I'm not remaking the film, I want to go back to the book.'
"A lot of the people freaking out haven't even read the books, and there are six gigantic books to go through. It's so rich. But Akira is one of my favourite films. My mum took me to see it when I was 13 and it changed my life."
Waititi is the latest in a long line of filmmakers to be linked to the Akira remake. In March last year, it was reported that David Sandberg (Light's Out) and Daniel Espinosa (Life) were under consideration to direct. Prior to that, Star Trek Beyond's Justin Lin was in talks, while Mad Mad director George Miller previously revealed that he was also approached by the studio.
In 2015, it was rumored that a trilogy was being planned, with Christopher Nolan involved at some level. Before that, The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra was attached--click here to see some concept art of this version. Last year, a report in Deadline stated that a trilogy is still part of Warner's plan for Akira.
In 2012, the film actually reached the pre-production stage before the Vancouver productions offices were shut down by the studio.
The manga of Akira ran between 1982 and 1990 and is widely credited for popularising Japanese comic books internationally. Equally, the success of the 1989 movie version did much to introduce Western viewers to anime, and is now considered one of the finest sci-fi films ever made.
It's the start of a new month, which means a host of new games are on the horizon for all platforms. April's release schedule is fairly light compared to March's, but there are still some big-name sequels in store for this month, including a new chapter in the Yakuza series and the revamped God of War for PS4.
Below, you'll find a roundup of all the biggest games coming to PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and 3DS in April 2018. For a full look at all of the major titles coming to each platform throughout the rest of the year, check out our comprehensive 2018 game release date list.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4) -- April 17
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is one of April's biggest PS4 releases, launching partway through the month on April 17. The final installment in protagonist Kazuma Kiryu's saga, the game follows the former mobster as he tries to reconcile his criminal past while raising his adoptive daughter's baby. The title also tweaks the series' combat system and introduces a host of new minigames, including the RTS-like Clan Creator.
This month's other marquee PS4 exclusive is God of War, which launches on April 20. A reboot of sorts of the long-running action series, this new installment eschews Greek for Norse mythology and follows the story of Kratos and his young son, Atreus. Along with the new setting, the game also boasts a completely revamped battle system, which sees Kratos trading his iconic Blades for the new Leviathan Axe.
Nintendo's DIY experiment, Nintendo Labo launches exclusively for Switch on April 20. More of a construction set than a traditional game, Labo ships in two different packages, which come bundled with cardboard and other materials used to create cardboard peripherals called Toy-Cons. Players can then use these Toy-Cons to play minigames and interact with the Labo software in other clever ways.
Microsoft is making a ton of new titles backwards compatible with Xbox One this month. Along with the 19 original Xbox games coming to Xbox One's backwards compatible library throughout April, a new 360 title is now playable on the current-gen console, and it even receives enhancements on Xbox One X.
As revealed during the latest episode of Inside Xbox, Sonic Generations is now playable on Xbox One. The game originally released in 2011 and features both classic 2D and modern 3D Sonic game styles. You can read more about it in our original Sonic Generations review.
If you own a disc of Sonic Generations, you can simply pop it into your Xbox One X and begin playing. If you own the game digitally, it will be waiting for you in the Ready to Download section of the My Games and Apps menu. You can also purchase a digital copy of the game from the Xbox Store.
We're almost halfway through the week, but we're not thinking about the weekend. In today's episode of GameSpot Daily, we're thinking about games like Red Dead Redemption, God of War, and a whole mess of original Xbox titles. Oh, and Nicki Minaj. Yep, all that and more in 30 minutes or less.
Red Dead Redemption headlines today's episode with its stunning 4K update on Xbox One X. Microsoft's continued backwards-compatibility support has given Red Dead and four other games the updates needed to run at 4K. Cowboys have never looked this good on an Xbox platform. Other games benefiting from the new updates include Gears of War 2 and Darksiders. We talk about the rest in today's episode.
In addition to that, Microsoft announced a total of 19 original Xbox games coming to the Xbox One's backwards-compatible library. They arrive throughout April and include games like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, [the original] Star Wars Battlefront II, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. We run down these three and the other 16 today.
Now you're probably wondering why we're thinking about Nicki Minaj, and that's because she's releasing new music this week. However, one particular song and promo image caught our eye. Nicki is set to release a song called "Chun-Li" on Thursday, and we could not be more excited for it.
As for Boss Key Productions' new battle royale shooter, we're a little disappointed. Currently, Radical Heights only features male avatars, though the developer has commented on this and says female characters are coming soon. Thankfully, any cosmetic you unlock can be worn by both male and female contestants, but we've still got some thoughts on this one.
God of War is nearly a week away from release, and we're still learning more about Kratos's return to the forefront. We've learned about a new Immersion Mode that eliminates most of the HUD elements, in addition to four difficulty settings, one of which sounds incredibly hard unless you're a Canadian like me. You'll see what I mean in today's episode.
And lastly, we bid farewell to SteamSpy, which would gather publicly accessible data from Steam and estimate the number of games sold on the platform. A recent update turned everyone's profiles hidden by default, thus rendering SteamSpy unable to function the way it's intended. It was a valuable tool for getting a somewhat accurate view on the PC video game market and will be missed. Don't cry because it's gone; smile because it happened.
So that's what you'll find in today's episode, but be sure to tune in every day of the week at 11 AM PST/2 PM EST/7PM BST/4 AM AEST for another episode of GameSpot Daily. We cover the most exciting gaming news in 30 minutes or less or we're not getting a 4K update.
A new Nintendo Eshop sale is going on this week. While it doesn't have a tentpole game like Arms in last week's sale, it has some good deals on a handful of well-respected indies. There's no indication when the prices will go back up, so jump on a game if you want it. Let's get to it, shall we?
The narrative-driven game Oxenfree is down to $5 (from $20). It's about a group of teens who spend a weekend on an island, where supernatural events begin to occur. Another standout is the Metroid-style platformer Cave Story+, which is on sale for $24.
If you have friends over often, you can't go wrong with The Jackbox Party Pack, on sale for $16. It has a mix of mini-games that lots of people can play together, using their phones or tablets as controllers.
Some other ones you might want to take a look at are the 2D-Zelda-like game Ittle Dew 2+ ($24), the dark, ultra-challenging platformer The End is Nigh ($12), the gravity-defying VVVVVV ($8), and the serpent platformer Snake Pass ($10).
On the 3DS side of things, there's only one noteworthy game on the list, but it's just a couple months old. It's the time-bending JRPG Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, and it's on sale for $32.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi just came out on Blu-ray a couple weeks ago, so it didn't get a big price drop this week. Even so, you can pick it up for $2 off, at $28. Like a number of the movies below, it also includes a digital copy.
Superhero fans may want to grab Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for $23 each. Spider-Man: Homecoming and Deadpool are both on sale for $20. All three of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies are on sale for $25 apiece. If you're on a Nolan kick, you may also want to grab Inception for the same price. A combo pack featuring John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2 in a steelbook case is on sale for $35. He's not a superhero exactly, but he might as well be.
Fans of classic sci-fi fare can buy The Fifth Element, Starship Troopers: 20th Anniversary, and Independence Day: 20th Anniversary for $20 each. For a gruesome yet realistic look at the drug trade, Sicario has you covered for $17. And to lighten the mood, you can pick up Groundhog Day for $20.
The sharp picture on your 4K TV is particularly suited to nature shows. Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II are both on discount for $40.
Those are our picks, but that's just scratching the surface of this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray sale. Check out Best Buy's full list for all the deals.
And before you check out, take a look at these sales for some potential extra savings.
The new God of War game for PlayStation 4 coming out soon will have four difficulty options, Sony has announced--and the most difficult one sounds very challenging. From easiest to m most difficult, the options are called "Give Me A Story," "Give Me A Balanced Experience," "Give Me A Challenge," and "Give Me God of War."
Sony recommends that people play on "Give Me A Balanced Experienced," which aims to offer a balanced but challenging experience. If you want to experience the story and not struggle too much, "Give Me A Story" is the option for you. The "Give Me A Challenge" option is "harder and less forgiving," Sony says. This is the option to go with if you're a confident player who is familiar with the God of War series (even though the combat is changed).
And finally, the "Give Me God of War" option is aimed at people "who wrestle polar bears in their undies," Sony said. For this mode, Kratos is weaker, enemies are stronger, and enemy behaviour is changed so that it is "as threatening as possible." Additionally, on this ultra-difficult mode, you cannot change difficulty if it gets too tough. You'll have to completely start over on a new game. You can see the complete descriptions for all of God of War's difficulty modes listed below.
Additionally, Sony has announced that God of War will have an Immersion Mode that only fills the HUD with the most necessary items. "There's no right or wrong way to play; you'll certainly have a lot of helpful info close at hand if you're playing with the HUD fully enabled," Sony said. "But for those fans who are sensitive to the HUD, or perhaps for folks who want to stream or capture and would prefer as little UI as possible, there you go."
Finally, there is another mode that lets you choose which HUD elements you want to have on, off, or enabled through the touch pad only for a short time.
God of War launches on April 20 exclusively for PlayStation 4. For more, check out GameSpot's new video where we play the game alongside Stranger Things star David Harbour and game director Cory Barlog.
God of War PS4 Difficulty Options:
Give Me A Story: lets you experience the story without too much of a difficult gameplay challenge. You won't be taking a gondola to the top of the highest peaks in all the Norse Realms, but you will have a far greater margin for error in enemy encounters.
Give Me A Balanced Experience: is the mode we'd recommend most players start with. The name says it all. We've tuned it to deliver a balanced, challenging playthrough.
Give Me A Challenge: is harder and less forgiving. It is recommended for players who find action games extremely intuitive, and for confident long-time God of War series veterans who've beat past games on harder difficulties.
Give Me God of War: is the sort of thing reserved for people who wrestle polar bears in their undies. Maybe not quite that, but it's the most difficult mode in the game. We haven't just made you weaker or enemies stronger; we've looked at enemy behaviors and placements in encounters as well, tweaking everything to make it as threatening as possible. Best of all, you cannot change difficulties once you start a game on this mode, so if you suddenly realize you're in way over your head, you'll have to start a new game. Don't be sorry, be better?
With April now underway, Sony has revealed the list of last month's best-selling games on the PlayStation Store. March saw a number of high-profile titles launch for PS4, including Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, A Way Out, and MLB The Show 18, but the most-downloaded game of the month was Far Cry 5.
Ubisoft's new open-world shooter was the best-selling PSN title in March, topping the chart in both the US and Europe. Far Cry 5 has proven to be a big success for Ubisoft, having the second-biggest launch in the publisher's history. Taking the runner-up spot in the US was MLB The Show 18, with EA's cooperative prison break game A Way Out following at No. 3. Rounding out the top five were Grand Theft Auto V and NBA Live 18: The One Edition, which charted at No. 4 and 5, respectively.
A Way Out had a similarly strong debut in Europe, taking the No. 2 spot for the month. Horizon Zero Dawn re-entered the chart at No. 3, while Gang Beasts and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege followed at No. 4 and No. 5. You can find the full list of Europe's best-selling PSN games here.
On the Vita front, Persona 4 Golden was the handheld's most-downloaded game for March, followed by the Vita versions of God of War Collection and Resident Evil Revelations 2. You can see March's top 10 most downloaded PS4 games below. For a full look at the month's best-selling titles, check out the US and European PlayStation Blogs.
March 2018's Best-Selling PS4 Games On PSN In The US
Far Cry 5
MLB The Show 18
A Way Out
Grand Theft Auto V
NBA Live 18: The One Edition
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
Battlefield 1 Revolution
Titanfall 2
Monster Hunter World
Gang Beasts
March 2018's Best-Selling PS4 Games On PSN In Europe
Activision has rolled out a big new patch for Call of Duty: WWII. The update is available to download now on all platforms--PS4, Xbox One, and PC--and is one of the most dramatic the game has received to date, making sweeping changes to its full range of playable classes.
With the update, developer Sledgehammer has overhauled every one of Call of Duty: WWII's Divisions. Each class has received a number of tweaks, ranging from swapping out gear perks to increasing certain stats. Sledgehammer has also made some general changes across all Divisions; for instance, each class now has unlimited sprint, although the sprint speed has been reduced.
In addition to that, all Divisions now carry least one Lethal and one Tactical equipment. As a result, the Armored Division has received a particularly big buff, taking much less explosive and fire damage. Armored players are also now immune to Shell Shock and have reduced flinch when shot. You can find the full patch notes for the update, as taken from Sledgehammer's official forums, below.
The big Divisions update coincides with the release of Call of Duty: WWII's second map pack, The War Machine. The DLC is available to download now on PS4, with an Xbox One and PC release set to follow a month later. It introduces three new multiplayer maps--Dunkirk, V2, and Egypt--a new War mode mission that features dogfights, and the latest Nazi Zombies chapter. It can be purchased separately or as part of Call of Duty: WWII's $50 / £40 / AU $65 season pass.
Call of Duty: WWII Patch Notes
Infantry
Additional Primary Attachment
Second Pistol Attachment and swap weapons faster
While aiming down sights, have less idle sway
Move faster while aiming
Airborne
Fire guns while sprinting and diving
Reload while sprinting
Climb over obstacles faster and no damage from falling
Sprint faster over time
Armored
Take significantly less explosive & fire damage
Immune to Shell Shock and Tactical Equipment
Increased bullet penetration through surfaces
Greatly reduced flinch when shot
Mountain
Invisible to enemy Recon Aircraft and controlled streaks
Killed enemy death locations hidden
No name or reticle change when enemies aim at you
Silent movement
Expeditionary
Double Lethal and Tactical and enhanced equipment use
Munitions replenish from killed enemies and over time
Improved Tacticals & Easier to destroy War buildables
Equipment damage paints enemies on mini-map
Resistance
Mini-map indicator & scrambler of close hostiles
Enemy movements are easier to hear
Kills and assists grant Intel Ping of nearby enemies
Easier to spot targets & increased mini-map coverage
Loadout Selection Changes
LMG Bipod and Sniper Sharpshooter are automatically available when using an LMG or Sniper
Remaining Division Skills (weapon class attachments) are selectable in CAC (and no longer given by division)
Each Division has a fourth perk and their levels have been adjusted and rebalanced
All players have unlimited sprint and sprint speed is slightly slower
3 Primary Attachments for all loadouts
One piece of both Lethal and Tactical equipment for all loadouts
Launchers can be equipped for all loadouts
The Rifle Grenade is an available attachment for all rifles
The Suppressor is an available attachment for all pistols
The Pistol Suppressor has a 15% range reduction vs. the SMG Suppressor's 30% range reduction
The following Basic Trainings are cut and no longer selectable: Primed and Bang
Prestige tokens spent on these are refunded and associated challenges are auto-completed
The following Basic Trainings are newly added: Blitzkrieg and Clandestine
Blitzkrieg: Streaks are earned by Kills (instead of Score). Bonus: Streaks are improved and select a fourth Streak.
Clandestine: Slain enemies drop Intel Packs that reveal nearby hostiles. Bonus: Intel ping at the start of each life
Resistance/Infantry Shifts
Moved "Second pistol attachment and swap weapons faster" to Infantry to align with its marksmanship focus
Filled gap in Resistance with "Enemy movements are easier to hear" to align with its counter-intelligence focus
Weapon/Mechanic Tuning Changes
Global sprint speed reduced (to account for Unlimited Sprint)
1.3x instead of previously 1.4x
Reduced Launcher effectiveness against players
Panzerschreck nerfed damage and projectile speed
Bazooka buffed radius, buffed projectile speed and nerfed damage
Bazooka should more reliably give hitmarkers than before and increased projectile speed should make it better than Panzer against streaks.
Frag and Sticky grenade max damage nerfed
~10% max damage reduction to account for all players having both Lethal and Tactical and address existing complaints of grenade spam
Shellshock and Earthquake effects from Lethal Equipment significantly reduced
Reduced effect radius and duration to address existing complaints and account for all players having both Lethal and Tactical
Tactical Equipment strength adjusted
All tacticals without Expeditionary III got a small nerf
Ordnance: Adds "Killed enemies drop Streak packs that fill your meter". Removes "Re-roll your own care packages".
Launched: Adds "Additional launcher ammunition". Removes "Only way to take a Launcher".
Concussed: Adds "Take two pieces of Lethal & Tactical equipment". Removes "presetting what the equipment is".
Instincts: Adds "Immune to Shell Shock and Tactical Equipment". Esports-only change to remove "warning when targeted off-screen" benefit (with the intention for this BT to be unbanned by MLG and used in competitive to counter Tacticals).
Incendiary Shells attachment buffed
Gives Additional Shells (7 for Combat Shotgun; 8 for all other shotguns)
Range reduction of Shells buffed to -10% from -15%
Sped up loading of shells for Combat Shotgun
M30 Rifle Bullet ammo buffed
Gives Additional Bullets (8 bullets instead of previous 6)
LMG Bipod Buffed
Increased fire rate while mounted (+9% which is equal to Rapid Fire attachment for LMGs [which stacks])
Firing while mounted initially draws ammo from reserve then once exhausted draws from current clip (removing the need to reload).
Sniper Sharpshooter Duration Buffed
Hold breath increased to 10 seconds from 4 seconds. Promotes using snipers the "proper" way rather than quickscoping.
Buffed "Take Significantly less fire & explosive damage" from Armored
80% reduction from fire and explosive damage (previously was 65% reduction)
"Reduced idle sway" from Infantry III & Scoped now affects snipers
30% reduction for Snipers; vs. all other weapon classes' 65% reduction
This does stack with Ballistic Calibration attachment
Buffed "Move faster while aiming" from Infantry IV and Scoped
The latest update for Fortnite has arrived, bringing with it new content and other changes, particularly for Battle Royale mode. However, an issue has cropped up involving the game's latest weapon, the Guided Missile, forcing Epic Games to remove it temporarily.
As confirmed in a tweet from the game's official Twitter account, an "animation issue" has emerged involving the weapon. Specifically, "sprinting after firing the Guided Missile causes the player model to be stuck with no running animation." As a result, Epic is "temporarily disabling it" on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile until a fix can be implemented. The developer doesn't provide any sense for how long that will take, whether it'll be a matter of hours or days. Another problem that sprouted up after the new 3.5 update involving accuracy and reticle issues has already been resolved.
The Guided Missile was added recently and fires a rocket that players can remotely control (though doing so leaves you vulnerable) and even ride on top of. It's proven to be a controversial addition, though the new update does take steps to reduce its effectiveness. The maximum turn rate of the missile has been decreased by 75%, while its movement speed has been reduced by 15%. It's one of a number of balance changes to go along with the newly added Port-a-Fort item, which builds a pre-made fort when thrown. A revamped version of the 50v50 limited-time mode is also on the way.
The Guided Missile problem isn't the only lingering issue from the new update. A keybinding issue is affecting PC (and PS4 players using keyboards), while the new replay system is causing crashes. Epic shares the status of all of these problems (and any others the game is facing) on its public Trello board, allowing fans to stay on top of how they're being addressed.
Monster Hunter World's first-ever seasonal event, Spring Blossom, is officially underway on PS4 and Xbox One. It offers a few weeks of new and returning activities to take part in, but the main attraction right now is the new gear--both armor and a greatsword weapon--for you to get your hands on. Here's what's available and how to get it all.
Spring Blossom Tickets are a newly added item for the event. You'll receive one as a login bonus, and more are available by completing Limited Bounties. These are then used to craft new items, including the armor.
The new Blossom armor is available in both Low Rank and High Rank variants, and you'll be able to see it at the Smithy as soon as you log in. Each piece of the Low Rank version requires a certain number of Earth Crystals to craft, as well as one Spring Blossom Ticket. The High Rank version requires Carbalite Ore, as well as three Spring Blossom Tickets per piece. That's a total of 15 tickets if you want to craft the full set. Here are the armor skills for each piece:
Blossom Headgear -- Honey Hunter (1)
Blossom Vest -- Quick Sheath (1)
Blossom Cuffs -- Paralysis Resistance (1)
Blossom Coat -- Scoutfly Range Up (1)
Blossom Boots -- Recovery Speed (1)
As for the new greatsword, you can now forge Wyvern Ignition, the weapon designed by a fan. Unlike the new armor, this won't show up at the Smithy by default. Instead, you'll first need to complete a new event quest called Every Hunter's Dream. This is a five-star Arena quest where you'll hunt a Rathalos and Paolumu, with a limit of 50 minutes or three faints. The reward is 7200z and Master Craftsman's Blueprints.
These Blueprints are one of the materials needed to craft the weapon, along with Dragonite Ore, Paolumu Webbing, and Rathalos Marrow. Two are needed for the base weapon (Wyvern Ignition "Steel"), while three more are needed for the upgraded version (Wyvern Ignition "Impact"). The upgrade also calls for Elder Dragon Blood, Firecell Stones, and a Wyvern Gem.
You'll have the duration of the Spring Blossom event to collect the necessary materials. The event runs until April 19 at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET (1 AM BST on April 20) and also includes a special design for the Gathering Hub, the return of all Event Quests, daily Limited Bounties, and more.
A previously unpublished novel by Lord of the Rings creator JRR Tolkien is to be released for the first time later this year. The Fall of Gondolin was written by the legendary British author in 1917 and is a work than many Tolkien fans never thought would be published.
The Fall of Gondolin is edited by Christopher Tolkien, the 93-year-old son of the author, and is illustrated by veteran Tolkien artist Alan Lee. It is the first story that the writer wrote set in Middle-earth and was started while he was in hospital recovering from injuries sustained during World War I. The novels chronicles some of the history of Middle-earth in the years before the events of Lord of the Rings and is described as "a template for everything Tolkien wrote afterwards" by John Garth, author of the book Tolkien and the Great War.
"It's a quest story with a reluctant hero who turns into a genuine hero," Garth said, via The Guardian. "It has a dark lord, our first encounter with orcs and balrogs--it's really Tolkien limbering up for what he would be doing later."
The Fall of Gondolin will be published on August 30. Its impending arrival on shelves is surprising, given that Christopher Tolkien strongly suggested last year that no more of his father's work would be published. Beren and Luthien, a restored, reedited edition of collected Tolkien stories was published in 2017, and was described by Christopher as "(presumptively) my last book in the long series of editions of my father's writings".
In related news, more details emerged last week about Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show. It was revealed that the show will potentially cost $1 billion to produce, due to the fact that the studio is required to make five seasons. It is very unusual for a series of this scale and cost to have an upfront commitment of this size, but these were the terms of the deal with the Tolkien Estate and publishers HarperColllins. In addition, Amazon must have the first season in production within two years.
We gave all three of those games at least 7/10 in our reviews. From our Endless Space review: "Endless Space is a new game to the 4X strategy scene, featuring non-linear gameplay and a demanding level of difficulty that pushes you to learn from past mistakes and strive to overcome the hurdles of galactic domination. This might not sound like everyone's cup of tea, but you'd be surprised how quickly Endless Space can trigger addictive tendencies."
But the folks at Humble Bundle try to encourage people to part with more than just a buck. If you spend more than the average price people have paid for the bundle (a little over $6 at the time of this writing), they'll also throw in Empire: Total War Collection and Endless Legend: Classic Edition, along with the latter's Tempest DLC.
We gave both of those games at least 8/10 when they launched. In our Empire: Total War review, we said, "It's impossible to condense an experience as broad and as rich as Empire: Total War to a few thousand words. Its complex amalgam of turn-based empire building and real-time skirmishing is exciting and involving, and it's both fuller and more streamlined than its predecessors."
As a final bid for more of your hard-earned money, Humble will throw in Endless Space 2 and Tooth and Tail if you splurge and spend $12 or more. As you can probably guess, these games scored well with critics, too. From our Tooth and Tail review: "Tooth and Tail is a bizarre cocktail of a dozen great ideas. It's a minimalist RTS that tosses out complex tech trees in favor of action-packed but accessible play."
It's been nearly five years since the release of the last Splinter Cell game, 2013's Blacklist. That's part of what makes the sudden return of Sam Fisher in Ghost Recon Wildlands--as part of a broader Splinter Cell-themed update--so exciting. And while it's just nice to see Fisher back and Michael Ironside providing his voice, the update may hint at something more.
After completing the update's new PvE mission, you'll get to see a cutscene, which is included in the video above. Fisher chats with the Ghosts' handler, Karen Bowman, whom he apparently knows, referring to her as "Linda." She says that Grim--Fisher's ally, Anna Grimsdottir--sent word that the "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs says there's a possible empty quiver."
This is a military term referencing the loss of a nuclear weapon--just the sort of thing that could serve as the setup for a Splinter Cell game. Bowman says she can get him transportation, and Fisher responds, "A guy once said, 'The price of success is hard work and dedication,'" and then seems to begin preparing to leave.
There's nothing outright stating this is meant as a tease for a new game; maybe Ubisoft is simply trying to explain why he doesn't stick around to continue working with the Ghosts. While you may not want to get your hopes up, any morsel of news about a new Splinter Cell is going to get fans excited.
Ubisoft hasn't confirmed if a new game is in the works, although CEO Yves Guillemot did provide fans with some hope last year. He said, "Splinter Cell is a brand we talk about a lot. It's also personally one of my favorite series. We don't have anything specific to share at the moment but teams are working on different things, so stay tuned for more."
Subsequently, he elaborated on those remarks, saying, "We are receiving lots of sketches and proposals around the brand, and we're going to pick one up. I think you will be able to see something, but you will have to wait for that."
The new Splinter Cell content in Wildlands comes as part of the free Special Operations I update, which is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The mission with Fisher is available indefinitely, although you have a limited time to complete challenges for special gear (including Fisher's goggles).
A new limited-time mode is starting soon in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Following the release of the game's 3.5 update on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, Epic is planning to kick off the 50v50 v2 event, a modified version of the game's very first limited-time mode.
As its name suggests, 50v50 v2 pits two teams of 50 players against each other. In this mode, players will have full access to the island for 10 minutes before the storm begins closing in. Supply drops will also fall every two minutes in batches of three to six, but they will only land within the final storm circle.
In addition to that, Epic has adjusted the spawn rates of loot in 50v50 mode. The likelihood of floor loot spawning has been increased 15%, and farming resources has been increased by 75%. Supply drops also spawn double ammo along with an extra consumable, trap, and resource drop, while chests spawn double ammo and consumables.
Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for the 50v50 event, but limited-time modes are typically only available for about a week. As this event is a "large squad" mode, it won't track players' profile stats. However, players will still be able to complete all non-squad-based Daily and Weekly Challenges. You can read more about the mode in Epic's patch notes.
50v50 is set to begin shortly after the release of Fortnite's 3.5 update. That patch added another new item to Battle Royale: the Port-a-Fort, which can construct a huge fort in a few seconds. Along with that, the update makes an assortment of balance tweaks and bug fixes, in addition to introducing new cosmetic options in Fortnite's paid Save the World mode.
Epic Games has launched the next set of weekly challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale. Following the release of a new content update, players on mobile, PC, PS4, and Xbox One who own the Season 3 Battle Pass can now tackle Week 7's challenges. These involve the usual mixture of tricky objectives and those that will simply take some playtime and luck to complete.
Nothing this week deals with the recentlyadded Vending Machines. In terms of the more straightforward challenges, you'll need to head to Lonely Lodge to search a total of seven chests. You'll also want to hang onto any shotguns you come across, as another challenge has you deal a total of 1,000 damage with them. Two of this week's "Hard" challenges also require some specific circumstance: one asks you to get three eliminations using a suppressed weapon, while another tasks you with eliminating three enemies in the vicinity of Shifty Shafts. All of the aforementioned objectives can be completed across a series of matches, so feel free to slowly whittle away at them.
One objective that is more challenging asks you to search a chest, ammo box, and supply drop in a single match. For the former two, you'll want to head indoors and check out attics in particular. As for the supply drop--the special chests that are periodically dropped onto the map--you'll need to keep an eye out for when one comes in. There's a specific sound effect that plays when one is dropped. Battles often ensue around supply drops due to their desirable contents, and that's only likely to be intensified because of this challenge. As such, this is one you may want to consider waiting some time to complete.
The remaining two challenges are the trickiest of the week without any help. One is deemed a Hard objective and asks you to follow the treasure map in Retail Row. As always with these treasure maps, you don't actually have to find the map--you can simply go right to where they would direct you, which in this case is in the hedge maze in Wailing Woods.
Your other more involved challenges asks you to search the Hidden Gnome in different named locations around the map. You'll have to inspect a total of seven, although there are quite a few more than that on the map. Every named location is home to one, and you can tell you're closing in on it when you hear its laughter. We'll have a video guide to help you find these soon.
As with all weekly challenges, you have the full season--through the end of April--to complete these. That means it's not too late to purchase the Battle Pass and go back to take on all of the Season 3 challenges so far. Doing so allows you to rank up the Battle Pass more quickly, which in turn allows you to get your hands on its many rewards.
Fortnite Week 7 Challenges
Search Chests in Lonely Lodge (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Shotguns to opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search a Chest, Ammo Box, & Supply Drop in a single match -- 5 Battle Stars
Search the Hidden Gnome in different Named Locations (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Retail Row -- 10 Battle Stars
Warhammer 40,000 games have arrived with regularity in recent years, with Total War: Warhammer II, Dawn of War III, and Warhammer Vermintide II each coming to PC recently. Fans therefore have plenty to satisfy various different types of itch, since the breadth of games set in the Warhammer universe is so diverse.
Until now, however, the brand hadn't touched on the Diablo-style action-RPG genre. And that's where Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor: Martyr comes in. Developed by NeocoreGames, which has been given its own corner of the Warhammer universe to build its story within, Martyr features a story-driven campaign that takes players to the 41st Millennium, where players are tracking a signal from a lost ship.
In addition to the single-player, there's a separate multiplayer mode where players can team up with up to three other Inquisitors to battle heretics, mutants, and Chaos Daemons, all while earning loot. Unique classes that have abilities that complement a variety of battle strategies will be available, and players will be able to customise and develop them to better suit their style. Other gameplay elements such as destructible environments and a cover system offer the opportunity to take a more strategic mindset into engagements.
You can check out some local co-op gameplay in the video above. Alternatively, check out some PS4 Pro gameplay in the video at the top of this article. For more on the game, check out our video on how Martyr is a fresh take on the action-RPG genre. Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor: Martyr is expected launch on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on May 11.
Update: It's not all sad news for Paige fans. Just a day after announcing her retirement on Raw, we learned on Smackdown that general manager Daniel Bryan was resigning, now that he's back to wrestling. And it didn't take long to find a replacement GM: Paige. Shane McMahon announced the news on Smackdown, ensuring that we'll still be seeing her around for the foreseeable future. The original story follows.
While it wasn't publicly talked about on WWE television, most wrestling fans knew that Raw superstar Paige was injured and forced into retirement. Sadly, on the Raw After Mania, she officially announced it and gave thanks to those who helped her along the way.
Back in December, during a house show, Paige was kicked in the back, which caused her neck to snap. Since then, she has not been allowed to wrestle inside a WWE ring. However, she has been working as the leader and manager of the stable Absolution, alongside Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. She did not partake in the women's Royal Rumble match nor the Women's Battle Royal at Wrestlemania. She sat on the sidelines during both events.
On the Raw After Mania, Paige grabbed the mic after an Absolution match and announced she is retiring. "I would like to thank every single female superstar back there today," she explained. "Be proud to be a part of this division. We have all built this division to be something huge."
She went on to thank Daniel Bryan, who recently came back from a career-ending injury at Sunday's Wrestlemania; his return gave her hope. She also thanked Edge, who was also forced into early retirement. She said that Edge showed her there is a life outside of WWE, and she has to go find "something else." What that means for her fans is unknown at this time.
Paige made it seem like she won't be returning to WWE programming at all, not even as the manager of Absolution. She debuted four years prior in New Orleans where she won the Diva's Championship--while still the NXT Women's Champion. Paige explained that she wanted to retire where she debuted. The crowd thanked her by chanting, "This is your house."
WWE's women's division would not be where it is today without Paige. She was the first female superstar from NXT to help elevate the women's main roster to where it is today. Because of her contributions, the Diva's title was retired, women have main evented PPVs, and women have competed in Hell in a Cell, Royal Rumble, and Money in the Bank matches. Thank you, Paige, for helping make WWE's women's division what it is today.
If you're an Overwatch fan who enjoys premium collectibles, take a look at this new Mercy statue that's available for pre-order from Blizzard's gear store. The release date is set for sometime in the fourth quarter of 2018. The only drawback is that it costs $175.
Thanks to the pictures Blizzard posted, it's easy to see why the price tag is so high. This statue of the flying healer is 13.75 inches tall, and it's hand-painted and finely detailed. It features the character in her standard outfit, with wings spread and staff in hand.
Blizzard launched the line of collectibles last year, starting with statues for Tracer and Reaper, as well as a couple of Warcraft characters, for about $150 each. A Widowmaker statue followed. Then, in June, Blizzard announced an intricately detailed statue of D.Va for the surprising price of $450.
If those prices are a little too rich for your liking, the Blizzard store also has Nendroid figures of many characters for $50 apiece, and Figma ones in the $70 - $80 range.
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on the current-gen console. But what games are available? We've rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available to the extensive list. More are added regularly, although new original Xbox games will be less common. [Updated April 11 with 20 more games.]
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Lineup:
Xbox
New titles are bolded
Black
Blinx: The Time Sweeper -- coming April 17
BloodRayne 2
Breakdown -- coming April 17
Conker: Live & Reloaded -- coming April 17
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Dead to Rights
Destroy All Humans -- coming April 26
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- coming April 17
Full Spectrum Warrior -- coming April 26
Fuzion Frenzy
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
Hunter: The Reckoning -- coming April 17
Jade Empire -- coming April 17
The King of Fighters Neowave
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction -- coming April 26
MX Unleashed -- coming April 26
Ninja Gaiden Black
Panzer Dragoon Orta -- coming April 17
Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (Europe only) -- coming April 26
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Psychonauts
Red Faction II
Sid Meier's Pirates
SSX 3 -- coming April 17
Star Wars Battlefront -- coming April 26
Star Wars Battlefront II -- coming April 26
Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy -- coming April 26
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter -- coming April 26
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords -- coming April 26
Star Wars: Republic Commando -- coming April 26
Xbox 360
New titles are bolded
0 Day Attack on Earth
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
A Kingdom for Keflings
A World of Keflings
Aegis Wing
Age of Booty
Alan Wake
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Alice: Madness Returns
Alien Hominid HD
Altered Beast
Anomaly Warzone Earth
Arkanoid Live
Army of Two
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed III
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- added April 3
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assault Heroes 2
Asteroids & Deluxe
AstroPop
Aqua
Axel & Pixel (not available for purchase)
Babel Rising
Band of Bugs
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts
Banjo Tooie
Banjo Kazooie
Batman: Arkham Origins
Battlefield: Bad Company
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield 3
BattleBlock Theater
Battlestations: Midway
Bayonetta
Beat'n Groovy
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Bellator: MMA Onslaught
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
BioShock
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite
Bloodforge
Blood Knights
Blood of the Werewolf
BloodRayne: Betrayal
Blue Dragon
Bomberman Live: Battlefest
Boom Boom Rocket
Borderlands
Borderlands 2
Bound by Flame
Braid
Brain Challenge
Bullet Soul
Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Burnout Paradise
Cabela's Alaskan Adventures
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Cabela's Hunting Expeditions
Cabela's Survival: Shadows of Katmai
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Juarez Gunslinger
Capcom Arcade Cabinet
Carcassonne
Cars: Mater-National Championship
Cars 2
Castle Crashers
Castlestorm
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Catherine
The Cave
Centipede & Millipede
Child of Light
Civilization: Revolution
Clannad
Commanders: Attack of the Genos
Comic Jumper
Comix Zone
Condemned
Contra
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Crackdown
Crazy Taxi
Crystal Quest
Crystal Defenders
Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
The Darkness II
Dark Souls
Dark Void
Darksiders
Darksiders II
Daytona USA
de Blob 2
Dead Rising 2: Case West
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 3
Dead Space Ignition
Deadfall Adventures
Deadliest Warrior: Legends
Deadliest Warrior: The Game
Deadly Premonition
Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue
Defense Grid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
Dig Dug
Dirt 3
Dirt Showdown
Discs of Tron
Disney Bolt
Disney Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Divinity II -- added April 3
Domino Master
Doom
Doom II
Doom 3: BFG Edition
Doritos Crash Course
Double Dragon: Neon
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon's Lair
Driver: San Franciso
DuckTales Remastered
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
Dungeon Siege III
E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme
Earthworm Jim HD
Earth Defense Force 2017
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Encleverment Experiment
Escape Dead Island
F1 2014
Fable Anniversary
Fable II
Fable II Pub Games
Fable III
Faery: Legends of Avalon
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Far Cry 2
Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
Fighting Vipers
Final Fight: Double Impact
Flashback
Flock
Forza Horizon
Fret Nice
Frogger
Frogger 2
FunTown Mahjong
Galaga
Galaga Legions
Galaga Legions DX
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Gatling Gears
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
Gin Rummy
Girl Fight
Goat Simulator
Golden Axe
Go! Go! Break Steady
Golf: Tee It Up
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grid 2
Gripshift
Guardian Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
Guwange
Gyromancer
Gyruss
Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition
Halo 4
Halo: Reach
Halo: Spartan Assault
Halo Wars
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hardwood Backgammon
Hardwood Hearts
Hardwood Spades
Harms Way
Haunted House
Heavy Weapon
Hexic 2
Hexic HD
Hitman: Absolution
Hitman: Blood Money
Hydro Thunder
I Am Alive
Ikaruga
Ilomilo
Injustice: Gods Among Us + disc-only Ultimate Edition
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
Iron Brigade
Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
Jet Set Radio
Jetpac Refuelled
Jewel Quest
Joe Danger Special Edition
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Joust
Joy Ride Turbo
Juju
Jurassic Park: The Game
Just Cause 2
Kameo
Kane & Lynch 2
Killer Is Dead
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters 2002
KOF Sky Stage
Lazy Raiders
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Lego Batman
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Limbo
Lode Runner
Lost Odyssey
Lumines Live!
Luxor 2
Mad Tracks
Mafia II
Magic: The Gathering 2012
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Mars: War Logs
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond
The Maw
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Meet the Robinsons
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 10
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug XX
Midway Arcade Origins
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
Military Madness
Mirror's Edge
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Missile Command
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island: SE
Monkey Island 2: SE
Monopoly Deal
Moon Diver
Motocross Madness
Ms. Splosion Man
Ms Pac-Man
Mutant Blobs Attack
Mutant Storm Empire
Mutant Storm Reloaded
MX vs. ATV Reflex
N+
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Neogeo Battle Coliseum
Nights Into Dreams
Of Orcs and Men
Omega Five
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
The Orange Box
Outland
Pac-Man
Pac-Man C.E
Pac-Man CE DX+
Pac-Man Museum
Peggle
Peggle 2
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark Zero
Persona 4 Arena
Phantasy Star II
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
Pinball FX
Planets Under Attack
Plants vs. Zombies
Poker Smash
Portal: Still Alive
Portal 2
Prince of Persia
Prey
Pure
Putty Squad
Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest 2
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
QIX++ Puzzlegeddon
Rage
Raiden IV
Raskulls
Rayman 3 HD
Rayman Legends
Rayman Origins
Red Dead Redemption
Red Faction: Armageddon
Red Faction: Battlegrounds
RoboBlitz
Rocket Knight
R-Type Dimensions
Runner 2
Sacred 3
Sacred Citadel
Saints Row: The Third
Saints Row IV
Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space
Sam & Max Save the World
Samurai Shodown II
Scarygirl
Scrap Metal
ScreamRide
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl
Shadow Assault/Tenchu
Shadow Complex
Shadowrun
Shadows of the Damned
Shank 2
Shinobi
Shred Nebula
Shotest Shogi
Silent Hill: Downpour
Skate 3
Skullgirls
Skydive
Slender: The Arrival
Small Arms
Sniper Elite V2
Soltrio Solitaire
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic CD
Sonic The Fighters
Sonic Generations -- added April 10
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Soulcalibur
Soulcalibur II
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Space Ark
Space Giraffe
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Spec Ops: The Line
Spelunky
The Splatters
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Split/Second
Splosion Man
SSX
Stacking
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Steins; Gate 比翼恋理のだーりん (Japan only)
Steins; Gate (オリジナル版) (Japan only)
Steins; Gate 線形拘束のフェノグラム (Japan-only, requires game disc)
Strania
Street Fighter IV
Stuntman: Ignition
Super Contra
Super Meat Boy
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Supreme Commander 2
Syberia
Tecmo Bowl Throwback
Tekken 6
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Texas Hold 'Em
Ticket to Ride
TimeShift
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Torchlight
Tour de France 2009
Tour de France 2011
Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers Cold War
Toy Story 3
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
Trials HD
Trine 2
Tron: Evolution
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
Unbound Saga
Undertow
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Season 2 - A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
Fortnite has another update out, and Battle Royale has a new item available now on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. In addition, the previously announced replay system has been implemented, a new limited-time mode is coming soon, and a bunch of new cosmetics have been added to Save the World.
Version 3.5, as the update is called, adds the recently teased Port-a-Fort feature, which is a throwable item that spawns a fort in seconds. You can carry up to five of these, though they only drop in stacks of one. Take a look at the Epic tier item below. Battle Royale will also revive the 50v50 mode "soon" with a few small changes.
Save the World, meanwhile, adds some new cosmetic options that include four new Heroes with a cyberpunk theme and a set of neon weapon skins. Take a look at those in the images below.
Aside from bug fixes and balance tweaks, the only other meaningful addition is Fortnite's replay system. This allows you to save your matches and watch them back from any angle. This is designed for sharing options but could also allow you to learn from where you and other players go wrong. Take a look at the full patch notes at the bottom of this article, via Epic.
Our Fortnite: Battle Royale review went live just recently. Critic Michael Higham enjoyed the multiplayer title and awarded it an 8/10. "While there are several moving parts in the game's ecosystem, Fortnite's biggest accomplishment is in how it seamlessly merges a number of simple mechanics to create a distinguishable battle royale game," he wrote. "What looks to be a straightforward building system steadily escalates to an elaborate display of tactical prowess. As the saying goes: It's easy to learn, hard to master. Although a few shortcomings in the map design eventually surface and fatigue in looting can set in, Fortnite rarely fails at challenging you in unexpected ways, resulting in something more than just another typical last-person-standing shooter."
Wood, Stone, and Metal resources will now always be the first items in the inventory list (e.g. instead of Traps).
Purchased V-Bucks are now shared between Xbox One, PC and Mobile.
Login Queue Improvements:
During wait periods, login will now remember your place in line if you quit out of the game and return.
Mobile devices will not enter the login queue more than once per login attempt.
Two-Factor Authentication challenges will not put you back into the login queue.
Bug Fixes
Adjusted the Login screen layout to better support varying screen sizes and safe zones.
Fixed a rare crash that occurred during logout.
Fixed PS4 players leaving their party after a match where they are playing with players on other platforms.
Fixed Survivor and Hero squads being locked after switching to Save the World from Battle Royale.
On PC, fixed PS4 controllers showing Xbox buttons, even after the controller type was changed in the settings.
Fixed rare cases in which character parts would stretch unnaturally.
(Example) Ears of the Rabbit Raider outfit.
Fixed the inability to rotate elements in the Battle Royale Locker after buying a Llama in Save the World.
Battle Royale
Replay System
Save your matches and watch them from any angle!
Speed up or slow down the action.
Help tell your story better with player outlines and name plates.
Several Camera Modes to choose from:
Third Person
Follows and orbits around the selected player.
3 different follow modes; Off, Auto, Lazy.
Drone Follow
Drone style camera that always keeps the selected player in frame.
Drone Attach
Drone style camera that is loosely attached to the selected player.
Drone Free
Drone style camera that is free to fly around the island.
Gameplay
This camera shows what the selected player saw during gameplay.
Adjust cinematic camera settings
Exposure
Aperture
Focal Length
Focus Distance
Currently available on PC and console only.
Weapons + Items
Port-a-Fort added.
Epic rarity.
Drops in stacks of 1. Can stack up to 5 in inventory.
When the Port-a-Fort is thrown, a pre-made fort is constructed instantly at the impact point.
The Port-a-Fort is made out of metal and is three stories tall.
The bottom floor is 1x1 with a door for entry. Tires inside allow for easy access to the roof.
Decreased Guided Missile maximum turn rate by 75%.
Reduced Guided Missile movement speed by 15%.
Added a short equip time to many weapons (particularly, those with a slower rate of fire).
This will reduce the effectiveness of quickly switching between weapons for high burst-damage.
Removed the reloading animation on the Pump Shotgun.
Weapons affected are:
Rocket Launcher
Hand Cannon
Revolver
Tactical Shotgun
Pump Shotgun
Heavy Shotgun
Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
Hunting Rifle
Crossbow
Adjusted item availability in Vending Machines.
Reduced chance of Chug Jug by 50%.
Increased chance of Medium Ammo weapons in Rare Vending Machine by 100%.
Reduced chance of Explosive Ammo weapons in Rare Vending Machine by 50%.
Reduced chance of Explosive Ammo weapons in Epic Vending Machine by 25%.
Increased chance of Heavy Ammo weapons in Epic Vending Machine by 25%.
Reduced chance of Explosive Ammo weapons in Legendary Vending Machine by 25%.
Increased chance of Heavy Ammo weapons in Legendary Vending Machine by 25%.
Reduced drop rate of Remote Explosives in floor loot by roughly 33%.
Updated Medium Ammo inventory icon to make it more easily identifiable.
Bug Fixes
Fixed weapons floating in the air under certain network conditions after quickly switching between items.
Guided Missile weapon fixes:
Eliminating a downed player with a Guided Missile no longer reports as a self elimination.
Picking up an item at the same time as firing a Guided Missile will no longer cause the picked up item to disappear.
Firing a Guided Missile prior to the victory screen displaying will no longer prevent the player from returning to the lobby.
Players will now correctly spectate the player that eliminated them instead of spectating their own active missile.
While spectating a player that fires a missile, you will now follow the missile instead of the player.
Fixed an issue that caused the player to spectate a floating Guided Missile weapon on the starting island if they were eliminated by a missile during the match.
Fixed an issue preventing the player from firing a guided missile while riding a guided missile.
Fixed an issue causing the player's name plate to display over the guided missile while controlling it.
Fixed an issue where the Rare Scoped Assault Rifle was incorrectly giving an Epic version in Vending Machines.
Fixed an issue causing the Loot Llama to be empty in Limited Time Modes.
Gameplay
Limited Time Mode: 50V50 v2
Two teams of 50 fight to the finish!
Due to this being a "large squad" mode, Profile Stats will not be tracked. Daily & Weekly challenges will still work, with the exception of the Squad-based challenges ('Place Top 6 in Squads', etc.).
Storm & Map
Each team has a bus, approaching the island from opposite directions. On the map, the friendly bus has a blue outline, enemy has red.
Final storm circle visible on minimap at start.
Players have 10 minutes to loot the map as the storm closes in on the circle, then 5 minutes to fight, and another 5 minutes as the storm shrinks to the end.
Supply drops come in batches of 3-6, fall every two minutes, and only land in the final storm circle.
Added dotted line to map, which indicates the "battle lines" between the two teams. Crossing the line will make running into enemies more likely.
Loot
Farming resources increased 75% over default.
Increased floor loot spawn likelihood by 15%.
Floor Loot spawns double ammo.
Ammo boxes spawn triple ammo.
Chests spawn double ammo & consumables.
Supply drops spawn double ammo, and an extra consumable, resource drop and trap.
Bug Fixes + Mode Improvements
Fixed a bug that created uneven teams where one side could have more than 50 players.
Downed players lose health more quickly than normal (10 health per tick).
New 'Builder Pro' controller configuration
This configuration is similar to "Combat Pro", but optimized for fast placement of building pieces.
Wall, floor, stairs, and roof have designated buttons on controllers.
The first button press will switch to the mapped building piece, then every press after will place that piece.
To switch between materials or traps, press the Left D-Pad button.
New Squad Comms wheel
This allows you to communicate quickly without voice.
The following callouts are currently available: Enemy Spotted, Need Meds, Need Shields, Need Materials, Need Weapon (context-sensitive), and Need Ammo (context-sensitive).
Defaults to 'V' key, Right D-Pad on controller, or in the Emote menu on Mobile.
The Loot Llama can now be opened through destruction as well as an interaction.
Added a blue tint to friendly traps to help distinguish them from enemy traps.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue preventing players from editing their own structures.
Supply Drop fixes:
Fixed an issue preventing players from opening supply drops in rare cases.
Fixed an issue causing supply drops to jitter as they fall if a player destroys the object that it landed on.
Fixed an issue causing supply drop loot to spawn in the air after the drop had been shot down.
Fixed an issue causing players to be pushed under the map if they stood under a falling supply drop.
Fixed an issue causing players to launch out of the map after landing on a supply drop.
Fixed an issue where building would be blocked for 3 seconds at a time under poor network conditions.
Fixed an issue causing controllers to vibrate during the skydiving phase when vending machines loaded into the world.
Fixed an issue that would hide structure health bars when the player aimed their weapon.
Fixed toggling aim down sights not returning to its previous state after reloading.
Fixed an issue where poor network conditions could prevent buildings from streaming in.
Fixed an issue where you could not select the same Banner Icon and color combination in Battle Royale that you have in Save the World.
Audio
Added unique equip/reload sounds for the following weapons (all others remain the same):
Epic/Legendary Assault Rifle
Heavy Shotgun
Pump Shotgun
Bolt-Action Sniper
Hunting Rifle
Added more variation to the Tactical SMG fire sound.
Added more variation to the medium-range Epic/Legendary Assault Rifle fire sound.
Bug Fixes
Remove the second "insert magazine" sound during the grenade launcher reload animation.
UI
Bug Fixes
Fixed the controller button label for Toggle Map not shown after being eliminated.
Fixed a bug in the Locker that made skydive previews appear without the correct animation.
Fixed text on the minimap that was too small.
Fixed the map marker not retaining its location when zooming in and out.
Fixed an issue with map markers not pinning at your cursor when placing them while zoomed in.
The controller analog stick can now be used to scroll the map while zoomed in.
Fixed an issue causing the eliminated player count displaying as zero when spectating a Guided Missile.
Art + Animation
Tweaked the object pop in animation so objects ease in rather than pop in.
Bug Fixes
Fixed inconsistent Battle Bus position changes that could occur every few seconds.
Fixed the Rock Paper Scissors emote so that it replicates properly in the lobby.
Fixed the Rainbow Smash and Candy Axe harvesting tools not always activating.
Fixed the Guided Missile firing animation so that it plays properly while spectating the player that is firing the weapon.
Reduced the size of Mushrooms that were too large.
Performance
Major optimizations + improvements made to console load times and CPU performance.
We've made some data layout optimizations in order to improve load times and performance. Load times reduced by 25-30 seconds as a result of these changes on Xbox One and around 10 seconds on PS4. On both platforms, we expect to see fewer issues with geometry or cosmetics failing to load in time, and FPS drops during skydiving. The Xbox One download will be larger than normal in this release as a result of these optimizations. We're working to minimize the impact of this type of optimization in future releases. - Developer Comment
Reduced download and patch size for players who just have access to Battle Royale (PC only).
Fixed various issues causing the game to freeze up/hitch while loading assets, especially on console. These assets are now preloaded before the game starts.
Optimized servers to reduce network lag when firing weapons and taking damage.
Mobile
Audio indicator no longer shows silenced weapons, crouched footsteps or ally pickaxes.
Multiple graphical improvements were made to the skybox, vegetation and anti-aliasing.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that caused input to continue when no longer touching the screen.
Fixed an issue where the message about jailbroken devices being unsupported wasn't being shown
Attempting to play using a jailbroken device will result in being kicked.
Fixed various interacting actions, including:
Icons not showing properly on lower-end devices
Supply Drops not being able to be opened.
Doors not consistently opening and closing.
The Map not being able to be zoomed & panned.
Instances where accidental button presses would occur.
Fixed an issue causing Revolver and Grenade Launcher ammo to float outside the gun.
Save The World
Gameplay
Enabled environmental damage for ranged weapons.
Percentage of damage done to the environment varies by weapon.
Environmental damage scaling for ranged weapons should remain consistent relative to the health of the environment, taking into account the rarity and alterations on the weapon.
NOTE: Environmental damage increases with tier and rarity only and is not multiplied through Offense.
Ranged weapons can not damage structures you or your team have built.
[Rework] Outlander Fragment
Fragment abilities, other than the Loot Llama, no longer require equipped Fragment ammo to activate.
Fragment abilities now have a cooldown and Energy cost, as other abilities do.
Fragment abilities are now improved when the Outlander expends Fragment ammo in their activation.
Fragment Ammo capacity has been dramatically increased.
[Rework] Melee Weapons + Environment
Melee weapons (aside from Pickaxes) can no longer damage structures that you or your team have built, and have had their environmental damage increased.
Environmental damage scaling for on-level melee weapons should now feel more consistent, relative to the health of the environment
NOTE: Environmental damage increases with tier and rarity only, and is not multiplied through Offense.
Axes do increased damage against wood. Hardware does increased damage against stone.Swords, Clubs, Scythes, and Spears do not favor any material type.
[Rework] Anomaly
Anomaly rewards increased, changed from BluGlo to mission rewards.
Anomaly shards will take full damage from the Pickaxe, reduced damage from other melee weapons, and can no longer be damaged by projectiles (Throwing Stars, Rockets, etc).
Crafting queue size increased from 10 to 20 (this means 1 in production and up to 19 pending).
Cozy Campfire no longer grants any Utility score for healing and instead grants more for placing the trap.
Falling Damage has been adjusted so that damage occurs at higher heights.
Players now first take damage after falling 1300+ units instead of falling 850 Units
(Example) You can now walk off a 3 story building, but you can't jump off.
Initial fall damage increased from 5% max HP to 10% max HP.
Next Damage Threshold is now 20% max HP at 3 tiles.
Next Damage Threshold is now 50% max HP at 3.75 tiles.
Next Damage Threshold is now Knockdown at 4.5 tiles.
Farther than 4.5 tiles will also result in Knockdown.
Enemy fall damage values have been adjusted to be in line with these changes.
The vehicles that Survivors stand on top of will no longer take damage from ranged or melee weapons.
Only the Pickaxe can damage them.
Increased wood, stone, and metal stack size and carry limits.
The default building resource capacity has been increased from 999 to 2000.
Building Resource Capacity nodes have replaced the previously existing Weapon Skill nodes in the Skill Tree. These new nodes allow players to upgrade their resource carrying ability by 1000 apiece to a maximum of 5000 per type.
Weapon Skill has been effectively uncapped since v3.3, which allowed us the opportunity to remove and repurpose their nodes in the skill tree. So don't worry - your ability to use weapons of all levels remains unchanged! - Developer Comment
Existing items will not automatically restack.
You can condense stacks by dropping and picking up items or transferring between backpack and storage.
Economy Tuning
Increased Hero and Schematic Quest XP for Stonewood, up to Mid Plankerton.
Players who have already completed these Quests will be awarded the difference.
Challenge Quests have been extended to 20 Stages.
The 'Leave No One Behind' Challenge Quest now awards Survivor XP, scaled based on stage.
Players who have already completed Stages 1-10 of this Quest line will be awarded the Survivor XP.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a long delay that occurred when joining a party when first loading-in on PS4.
Fixed an issue that could cause BluGlo pylons to spawn on top of one another.
The buff from BluGlo pylons is no longer lost after 10 minutes.
Fixed an issue that would cause players to pick up items much slower than normal.
Missions And Systems
New Questline: Into the Storm: Opening Act
Accompany Lars and Ray on their journey into Lars' past in the brand new questline, 'Into the Storm'!
Brand new Survive the Storm map - Thunder Route 99.
Into the Storm Llama is available in the Loot Tab.
Cost: 1000 Storm Tickets
Event Llama guarantees at least one Epic (or higher) Neon Weapon or Cyberpunk Hero
Every 1000 Firecracker Tickets will be converted into a Spring Llama.
Quest Rewards:
Choice of Legendary Ranged Neon Weapon (Pistol, Shotgun, Assault).
Survive the Storm returns!
Improved rewards.
Added Spring It On! Gold, scaled by difficulty and number of days completed.
Improved the amount of Hero / Schematic / Survivor XP earned.
Increases more with difficulty and number of days completed.
Increased the rarity of items (Survivors, Schematics, Transform Keys, etc.) that drop from Survival mode, especially at high difficulties.
Reduced the number of low-rarity items that drop.
Mission Alerts award between 300 and 1500 tickets, scaled based on Survival length and difficulty.
Quota: Three 3-Day Survivals per 24 hours.
Quota: One 7-Day Survival per 24 hours.
Added side quests with new banner rewards!
Power 15 Event Themed Banner + 1000 Storm Tickets.
Power 40 Event Themed Banner + 1000 Storm Tickets.
Power 70 Event Themed Banner + 1000 Storm Tickets.
Changed the Survival Mode vote to skip the day to majority vote (from unanimous) to keep consistent with all other voting.
Mutant Storms
Mutant Storms are more active during this event and award between 100 and 240 Storm Tickets, scaled based on difficulty.
Quota: 10 per 24 hours.
Repeatable Quest to complete 2 Mutant Storm Mission Alerts that awards 100 Spring It On! Gold
Opt-in difficulty boost and group missions do not award tickets during this event.
Mini-boss Mission Alerts can no longer be selected if you have not unlocked the mission the alert is attached to.
This will prevent low-level players from attempting Mission Alerts that are too difficult for them, unless they are invited into a group by a higher-level friend.
Mimic Reward Updates:
Mimics will always award the equivalent to at least a Level 3 (Blue) Treasure Chest.
Some Mimics will instead award the equivalent to a Level 4 (Purple) Treasure Chest.
'Evacuate the Shelter' adjustments:
In non-group missions, the number of enemies needed to be killed after reaching the shelter has been reduced to 10 per players in zone instead of 35
The final encounter in non group missions has been reduced to 6 minutes from 8
'Repair the Shelter' adjustments:
See-Bot will no longer be attacked on arrival.
See-Bot will now arrive with a 5 minute counter. After 5 minutes it will leave to recharge and then return later to a different location on the map.
The Husk attack now begins when a player deploys the See-Bot. See-Bot is safe before then.
Players have 5 minutes to start the scan and then defend See-Bot.
Husk attack difficulty has been reduced for first two attacks.
Shelter will now automatically start diagnostic scan when player reaches the shelter instead of having to interact with it.
Decreasing the difficulty of the mission and initial combat encounter allowed us to double down on the mission core: scrambling to rescue a sieged shelter and creating a time pressure. -Developer Comment
With the automatic diagnostic scan the length of time until first raid occurs has been increased to 8:30 minutes after diagnostics are complete to allow more time to prepare, used to be 6:30 minutes.
Progress for the quest 'Air Quotes' is now given when the first 25 enemies have been successfully eliminated after activating the Storm Chest. Rather than having to eliminate all waves of enemies before the timer is up.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where some players were locked out of their Storm Shield.
Visual level of Survival mission reward chest increased (so it reaches max-level chest appearance at 7 days).
Heroes
Cyberpunk Heroes added, available in the new 'Into the Storm' event Llama.
Bullet Storm Jonesy (New Soldier Subclass) Bullet Storm: Uses high magazine weapons to build up attack speed and mow down enemies.
New Perks:
Start Up - Firing with a ranged weapon increases rate of fire by 1.2% per shot for up to 20 shots. Resets on reload or weapon switch.
Start Faster - Increases 'Start Up' rate of fire bonus to 2.4% per shot.
Harvester Sarah (New Ninja Subclass) Harvester: Close range scythe Ninja who uses Smoke Bomb and Shadow stance to survive on the battlefield.
New Perks:
Scythe to Meet You - Scythe attacks apply a 30% snare for 1 second.
Late Arrival - Scythes deal 48% increased damage to slowed or snared targets.
Heavy BASE Kyle (New Constructor Subclass) - Heavy BASE: Constructor focused on taking down enemies within BASE to charge up a great energy nova.
New Perks:
Feel the BASE - BASE generates energy when enemies die within the area affected by BASE. After 30 kills BASE emits an explosion that knocks husks back and deals damage in a 3 tile radius.
Turn Up the BASE - Increases the radius of 'Feel The BASE' by 2 tiles and damage by 80%.
New Tactical Perk:
Feel the BASE - BASE generates energy when enemies die within the area affected by BASE. After 30 kills BASE emits an explosion that knocks husks back and deals damage in a 3 tile radius.
T.E.D.D. Shot Jess (New Outlander Subclass) T.E.D.D. Shot: Deploys T.E.D.D.Y. to provide cover fire while sniping foes from a distance.
New Perks:
Quick Scope - Increases sniper rifle rate of fire by 35%.
Precision Handling - Hitting a headshot increases the speed of your next reload by 7% (Max 35%). Resets after reloading.
Eye on the Prize - Getting 15 headshot kills grants 1 Charge Fragment.
New Support Perk:
Sure Shot - Increases sniper rifle critical hit damage by 35%, 53%, 70%.
Outlander
Shock Tower
No longer requires a Fragment to operate.
Cooldown has been set to 60 seconds.
Stamina cost has been set to 50.
Using a Fragment will reduce the cooldown by 30% and reduce the stamina cost to 0.
Damage has not been adjusted.
T.E.D.D.Y.
No longer requires a Fragment to operate.
Cooldown has been set to 60 seconds.
Stamina Cost has been set to 50.
Using a Fragment will reduce the cooldown by 30% and reduce the stamina cost to 0.
Damage has been unadjusted.
Impossibility Matrix
Now increases the cooldown reduction for 'Shock Tower' and 'T.E.D.D.Y.' to 50% when using a Fragment.
Fragment Ammo
Cap has been increased to 25 + Llama fragment.
Llama Fragment
Acquiring a Llama Fragment now immediately resets the cooldown of all your Fragment abilities.
Constructor
Recycling
Increased the maximum storage capacity of BASE Recycling from 150 to 450.
Hyperthreading
Increased the maximum storage capacity of BASE Hyperthreading from 300 to 900.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where the 'Plasma Pulse' tooltip wouldn't reflect the current 'I.F.F. Coding' functionality.
Fixed an issue with Fragment Flurry Jess and Shamrock Reclaimer's support bonus 'Energized' not scaling correctly across multiple star levels.
Fixed an issue where 'Dragonslash' caused Ninjas to lose collision against Heroes and Enemies.
Fixed an issue where 'Decoy' wasn't taking damage from Husks.
Fixed an issue that could cause 'Mantis Leap' to stack velocity infinitely.
Weapons And Items
Neon Weapon set added, available in the new 'Into the Storm' event Llama.
Ranged Weapons:
Argon Assault Rifle
Helium Shotgun
Krypton Pistol
Melee Weapons:
Argon Axe
Krypton Sword
Neon Scythe
Impulse Grenade
Doubled the knockback distance against enemies.
No longer affects allies.
Easter Egg Launcher Eggs no longer detonate when a player is downed but are cleared when a player respawns or disconnects.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where crystal Scavenger melee weapons had the same durability as ore Scavenger melee weapons.
Fixed an issue where the Vacuum Tube Spear and Axe knocked enemies back instead of stunning them in place.
Dragon's Might shotgun projectiles no longer bounce off of deep water.
Fixed an issue where Dragon's Might shotgun projectiles weren't exploding on contact with enemies.
Bullet tracers shot from other players single shot weapons no longer travel through walls.
Fixed an issue where the Boost Trap would give more resources than intended from recycling.
UI
Added an option to show a Collection Book indicator on items in the Armory menus.
Added an option to toggle whether or not 'Favorite' items are grouped together in the Armory menus.Added tooltip text for the cinematics volume setting in the audio settings tab.
Items in the Armory that don't have stats no longer display a stats panel.
Replaced references of the word "Vault" with "Armory" in skill tree nodes.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where players using the Combat Pro control scheme would see "Unable to Edit Building" when pressing the button to get on their Hoverboard.
Fixed an issue where the 'Place Trap' controller button icon was missing when using the Combat Pro control scheme.
Updated reward summary cards to no longer be selectable once they move off screen.
Fixed an issue where damage return values for Traps that deal elemental damage were not indicating what type of elemental damage was dealt.
Updated Electrical Wall and Ceiling Trap descriptions to mention their elemental damage traits.
Fixed a spelling error in the Mythic Wukong Berserker description.
Fixed an issue that prevented players from selecting options (mute, add friend, etc.) in chat.
Fixed an issue where the camera would jump when zooming in on a skill tree tier.
Fixed the 'Import Friends' button not being selectable with a controller.
Fixed 4-player level difficulty being cut off in the in-zone objectives screen.
Fixed the 'Research' purchase button's cost icon being offset when using a controller.
Fixed BluGlo having the 'Equip' button active in the in-zone inventory.
Fixed a crash that occurred when typing a comma while naming your Homebase.
Updated player revive screen text.
Audio
Metal toilets now plays a metal sound when destroyed.
Super Meat Boy is renowned for being one of the most brutally difficult platformers of its generation, and its successor, Super Meat Boy Forever, certainly looks to uphold that reputation. Originally envisioned as a mobile-friendly version of the first Super Meat Boy, Forever eventually grew into a full-blown sequel, with more levels, characters, and cutscenes--not to mention a bigger budget--than developer Team Meat could achieve with the first title.
The game also makes some dramatic changes to Super Meat Boy's formula. This time around, Meat Boy and Bandage Girl are both playable, and the two can punch, kick, and slide through levels. Perhaps the most radical departure, however, is that Forever is an auto-runner. Meat Boy and Bandage Girl now barrel through levels automatically, with players responsible for timing their jumps over buzzsaws, chasms, and other deadly hazards scattered throughout each stage.
This streamlined gameplay translates into a much more accessible experience than the original Super Meat Boy, as players can navigate through the game's many hazard-laden levels using only two buttons. As we quickly learned from our hands-on time with the title, however, this greater accessibility doesn't necessarily make it any less challenging than its predecessor.
Unlike the original Super Meat Boy, Forever's levels are procedurally generated. Each is comprised of set "level chunks," but those are arranged differently each time you enter the stage, keeping the experience unpredictable. In typical Meat Boy fashion, they're also littered with obstacles, requiring quick reflexes, precise timing, and some muscle memory to successfully clear.
We got a chance to check out Super Meat Boy Forever at PAX East 2018. In the video above, you can see Team Meat co-founder and Forever's creative director Tommy Refenes showcase a few levels from the upcoming platformer. Refenes also shows off a couple of the game's Dark World stages, which offer a more challenging take on its standard levels.
Super Meat Boy Forever is in development for Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices. Team Meat hasn't announced a release date for the game yet, but it is slated to launch this year, with the Switch version set to arrive first.
As always, Steam has a bunch of games on sale right now. The standout of the sale is the Witcher series. All three Witcher games, along with the expansions, are available at steep discounts. If you're going to play The Witcher, you'll probably want to start at the beginning. This series leans heavily on its fantastic story, with characters and relationships carrying over and evolving throughout all three games. Set in a dark fantasy world, the series follows a monster hunter for hire named Geralt of Rivia.
The first game came out 11 years ago. In our Witcher review, we scored it 8.5/10 and called it "one of the deepest, most adult role-playing games to hit the PC in years. Polish developer CD Projekt has crafted one of those landmark games that moves the goalposts for everybody, a truly grown-up take on swords and sorcery that breaks just about every fantasy tradition in the book." The enhanced edition is on sale on Steam for $1.49 / £1 right now.
The sequel landed in 2011. In our The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review, we gave it 9/10 and said, "This distinguished game makes an important statement: Visual beauty, challenging action, and game-changing decisions can coexist in a modern RPG. In one beauteous stroke, The Witcher 2 has raised the stakes." You can buy the enhanced edition on Steam for $3 / £2.
And finally in 2015 came the series' stunning conclusion. In our The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review, we scored it 10/10, saying, "Make no mistake: this is one of the best role-playing games ever crafted, a titan among giants and the standard-setter for all such games going forward." It also got two sizable (and also excellent) expansions. The Game of the Year Edition includes all of the content, and is currently on sale for $20 / £14 on Steam.
If you play through the several hundred hours you can spend in The Witcher series, you might find yourself looking for something else to play. Other popular games in the Steam sale are Plague Inc: Evolved ($6), Mount and Blade ($3) and its expansions ($3 - $7), and Farm Manager 2018 ($17). Check those out if you're into epidemiology, battle strategy, or harvesting crops, respectively. You can find all of these games on Steam's sale page.
A new in-game event is underway in Pokemon Go. For the next few days, Niantic is holding Kanto Week, an event celebrating the classic Red and Blue versions with increased spawn rates for some Gen I Pokemon and other bonuses.
Kanto Week runs from now until April 17. For the duration of the event, Kanto-native Pokemon, like the original starting trio Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, will appear much more frequently in the wild. Other Gen I monsters, such as Aerodactyl and Snorlax, will also return to Raid Battles.
In addition to that, players will receive double the normal amount of Candy for capturing and transferring Pokemon during Kanto Week. Niantic is also offering special boxes from the in-game store that contain Raid Passes and other helpful items.
Kanto Week ties into the recently added Special Research quest to find Mew. As part of the tasks to encounter the Mythical Pokemon, players need to earn a gold Kanto medal, which is awarded for capturing 100 Pokemon from the region. This event should make it easier to accomplish that feat.
Kanto Week runs through Pokemon Go's next Community Day, which takes place this coming Sunday, April 15. During that event, Eggs will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require. Players will also have a greater chance to capture the Electric-type sheep Mareep; if it evolves into Ampharos during the event hours, the Pokemon will learn the powerful Dragon-type attack Dragon Pulse.
Tropical Freeze is the second Donkey Kong game from Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios, originally launching for Wii U back in 2014. Like Donkey Kong Country Returns before it, the game is a side-scrolling platformer in the vein of Rare's iconic SNES trilogy, although it introduces a few new elements to the series. In addition to Donkey and Diddy Kong, players can control Dixie and Cranky, both of whom have their own unique abilities. Dixie can hover through the air using her ponytail, while Cranky can use his cane to pogo bounce, DuckTales-style, on enemies and hazards.
On its original release, Tropical Freeze was widely lauded as one of Nintendo's best modern-day platformers, but the game was also notorious for its steep difficulty. To make the experience more welcoming to newcomers, the Switch version of Tropical Freeze introduces another new playable character, Funky Kong, who serves as a sort of easy mode. In contrast to the other Kongs, Funky can roll and perform underwater corkscrews infinitely. He can also double jump, while his surfboard protects him from spikes and other stage hazards.
We got a chance to go hands-on with the Switch version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze at PAX East 2018. In the video above, you can watch us play through a handful of the game's opening levels as Funky Kong, so you can see just how he differs from the game's other playable characters. You can also get a sense of how Tropical Freeze looks and plays on Switch; as expected, aside from some faster load times, the game doesn't look noticeably different from the Wii U version, although it plays just as well on the hybrid system.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze launches for Nintendo Switch on May 4. Nintendo first announced the title during its big Direct presentation this past January. You can see additional footage of Tropical Freeze for Switch in its latest gameplay trailer.
Nintendo consoles may not traditionally be known for their third-party support, but Switch has made some notable inroads in that area. The console has already received a number of titles that, just a few years ago, would have been unimaginable on a Nintendo platform, with a few other high-profile ports slated for this year--including the remastered version of From Software's brutally challenging RPG, Dark Souls.
Dark Souls Remastered arrives on Switch next month alongside other platforms, and while the Switch edition may not be quite as visually impressive as the other versions, the game is still a marked improvement over the original Xbox 360 and PS3 release. On Switch, Remastered supports 1080p when the console is docked, just as on a standard Xbox One or PS4 (or 720p in handheld mode), and it runs at 30 FPS whether you play it on the television or on the go.
We got our first hands-on opportunity with the Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered at PAX East 2018, and we came away impressed by how well the experience translates to Nintendo's hybrid system. In the video above, you can watch off-screen footage of us playing the opening portions of the game in handheld mode. Despite Switch's comparatively modest horsepower, Dark Souls Remastered looks and feels great on the console, and the fact that it's playable anywhere thanks to the system's portability is especially impressive.
Dark Souls Remastered releases for Switch on May 25. The game also launches alongside an exclusive Solaire of Astora Amiibo figure. Scanning the Amiibo allows players to perform the famous "praise the sun" emote in the game, although it remains to be seen if it has any other functionality besides that. If you're interested in the title, Switch owners will soon have a chance to try it out a little early; Nintendo will hold a network test for Dark Souls Remastered ahead of the game's launch. More details will be announced closer to the test.
In addition to Switch, Dark Souls Remastered is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on the same date. Each of those versions runs at 60 FPS, while PS4 Pro and Xbox One X owners will be able to play in upscaled 4K; the PC version, meanwhile, can run in native 4K. You can watch us play 30 minutes of Dark Souls Remastered on a PS4 Pro for a better idea of how the upcoming remaster looks on other consoles. Each version also features a number of quality-of-life improvements to make the experience a bit smoother for all players. You can read more about the title in our original Dark Souls review.
NOTE: As mentioned in the video, we did have some audio issues during capture. GameSpot apologizes for the inconvenience.
At this early juncture in the Switch's life, few third-parties have supported the console as fully as Bethesda. On top of its widely acclaimed RPG, Skyrim, the publisher has brought Doom--one of the most brutal and visually intensive shooters of the current generation--to the hybrid console courtesy of developer Panic Button, which is also handling the upcoming Switch port of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
As with the Switch version of Doom before it, Panic Button has made some sacrifices to bring Wolfenstein II to Nintendo's hybrid console. The game is capped at 30 FPS, with a lower resolution and some muddier textures than the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions. Despite this, the experience still remains very much intact. Some visual compromises aside, Wolfenstein II looks and feels like the same game that launched for other platforms last fall, and while it may not be quite as pretty as those versions, it's still one of the most visually impressive games coming to Nintendo's console.
We had a chance to go hands-on with the Switch version of Wolfenstein II at PAX East 2018. In the video above, you can watch us play through a portion of the game's second chapter in docked mode. Like the Switch version of Doom, Wolfenstein II will also support motion-controlled aiming using the controller's gyroscope; that option wasn't available for us to try during our hands-on session, but it will be available in the game from launch.
Bethesda still hasn't announced a release date for the Switch version of Wolfenstein II, but the game is slated to launch for the console sometime this year. The shooter was one of the most acclaimed games of 2017; GameSpot's Kallie Plagge awarded it a 9/10 in our Wolfenstein II review and said, "Despite some heavy-handed moments that feel like missteps in its message, satisfying Nazi-killing action bolsters its completely bonkers storyline in a way that only Wolfenstein can achieve."
We tested out the update, and you can check out the game in action in the gameplay video above. If you want to watch it in 4K, head to our YouTube channel here.
On Xbox One X, Red Dead Redemption runs at a higher resolution and features other visual improvements. This is done using the Heutchy Method--named after the Microsoft engineer who developed it--which "leverages the power of Xbox One X to let the Xbox 360 emulator present the very best version of the game possible with the existing assets--all without touching the game code."
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